Indian Police: Pakistan’s Spy Agency Planned Train Bombings

The police officer leading the investigation into train bombings that killed more than 200 people in the Indian city of Mumbai in July accused Pakistan’s spy agency on Saturday of masterminding the attack.

Tariq Azim, Pakistan’s minister of state for information, denied the claim, calling it “sad and unfortunate.”

“We reject this allegation, and demand that India should provide us any evidence, if they have,” Azim told The Associated Press.

Mumbai police Commissioner A.N. Roy said an intensive investigation that included using truth serum on suspects revealed that Pakistan’s top spy agency had “masterminded” the bombings.

Roy said Pakistan’s Directorate of Inter Services Intelligence, or ISI, began planning the attacks in March and later provided training to those who carried out the bombings in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

“The terror plot was ISI sponsored and executed by Lashkar-e-Tayyaba operatives with help from the Students Islamic Movement of India,” Roy said at a news conference to announce the completion of the investigation.

The question is, of course, if it is true, or more importantly if India truly believes it to be true, what will India do? My guess: not much. At least, not much out in the open. India might use its own secret service on a larger scale to hurt Pakistan’s interests, but both countries are nuclear armed: this of course will mean that India and Pakistan, both, will not start a true war.

Also:

The Indian allegation came days after the BBC reported that a document prepared for Britain’s Defense Ministry accused ISI of indirectly supporting terrorist groups including al-Qaida.

Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf strongly rejected the documents, while Britain’s Ministry of Defense also clarified that the leaked document was academic research and did not represent the British government’s view.

Do not underestimate Musharraf. He is not some kind of friendly, democratic ruler.

Secondly, I do agree though, that they might be doing things he does not know anything about. That being said, he is responsible and should be held responsible.

Lynx

Michael I appreciate that maybe you were just looking for a bomb+train pic for the post and that sometimes time is of the essence but I gotta say it didn’t make my day to see that image when I refreshed the blog. The train bombings in Madrid were horrific enough for those of us who live there and take those trains regularly without reminders. This is purely personal and I understand that to most TMV readers one bombed train is as good as another but think of it this way: would showing the twin towers up in flames as a post for a different building bombing not make you at least a little unconfortable?

Oh, I agree with what you said about Musharaf, Michael but he’s all about survival, not ideology. Which is why I don’t think he would have supported something like those attacks.

Swaraaj

While President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India keep pointing out that Pakistan is the training ground for terrorists, President Bush goes on pushing both these countries to keep talking to Pakistan’s President General Musharraf and work out a solution.

One wonders what solution President Bush has in mind in a situation in which both Afghanistan and India seem to view their counterpart in Pakistan as a possible Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!!!